Single-disk furrow-opener.



E. H. CURETON & J. E. ULRICH. SINGLE DISK FURROW OPENER. APPL1CATION FILED MAR. 10. 1916.

1,1 89,066. Patentd June 27, 1916.

, Z I V K wumtom wi tweoov' v W THE COLUMBIAIPLANDGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, n. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD H. CURETON AND JOHN E. ULRICH, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO THE AMERICAN SEEDING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, AND RICH- MOND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SINGLE-DISK FURROW-OPENER.

Application filed March 10, 1916. Serial No. 83,310.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EDWARD H. Common and JOHN E. ULRICH, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Single-Disk Furrow-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in single disk furrow openers, and more particularly relates to a furrow opener of the type in which an arch is employed for supporting the boot and its attached toe scraper.

An object of the invention is to provide a construction whereby the toe scraper may be maintained in proper contact with the convex side of the disk.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a supporting arch so constructed that it will have the necessary and proper amount of resiliency and torsional spring for maintaining the toe scraper in yielding contact with the disk.

and in proper relation therewith throughout the entire length of the scraper.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a furrow opener embodying the improvements, looking at the concave side of the disk. Fig. 2 is also a side elevation looking at the convex side of the disk. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the arch.

In the construction of furrow openers of the type referred to, difficulty has been encountered in maintaining the toe scraper which is attached to the lower end of the boot in proper relation with the disk due to irregularities in manufacture which are almost universally found in curved disks, as a result of which there are some points at which the pressure of the toe scraper is not sufficient to properly clean the disk, or there are some points at which the pressure is greater than necessary, thereby causing not only unnecessary draft but wear on the toe scraper, and, in some cases, as in loose soil, locking the disk against revolution. These difliculties are encountered where the arch is made of malleable iron or bar steel, which are too rigid, although attempts have been made in the bar steel form of arch to provide some resiliency to obviate these difficulties. However, with an arch of bar steel of suificient rigidity to properly perform its supporting function when pressure is transmitted to the disk through the arch as is usually the case, the difficulty is not overcome, because of the failure of such arches to yield in a torsional direction which is necessary for properly maintaining the scraper against the disk throughout all portions of its length. Another difiiculty with the bar steel arch of resilient character is that it has been found impracticable to fol- ].ow out the desirable and conventional form of attaching the boot thereto; that is, attaching it to the rear end of the arch near the upper end of the boot and then employing the lower end of the boot for the attachment of the scraper, as the bar steel arch does not provide sufficient rigidity for this purpose, making it necessary to continue the arch down to the lower end of the boot. To overcome these difliculties we have devised the following construction:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the drag-bar; 2 a concavo-convex disk of the usual form revolubly connected thereto; 3 an arch embodying our improved construction, the forward end of which is connected to the drag bar 1 and the rear end of which has connected thereto a boot 4; 5 a toe scraper connected to the lower end of the boot projecting toward the center of the disk and having its scraping edge shaped to conform to the convex side of the disk; 6 a scraper for the concave side of the disk connected to the arch; and 7a raising and lowering rod connected to the arch; all of these parts, with the exception of the peculiar construction of the arch, being of the usual form.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the arch is of channel form the forward end 3 being enlarged somewhat to form a point of attachment for the drag-bar and the rear end 3 being flattened to provide a point of attachment for the boot. This arch is constructed of pressed steel, so that it can be made comparatively light and resilient in character, the channel form, however, providing the necessary rigidity to enable it to perform its supporting function but at the same time resilient enough that, the parts being properly adjusted, it will hold the scraper 5 yieldably against the side of the disk. I

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 27, 1916. A

Further, owing to its peculiar character the arch will yield under torsionalstrain, which is very beneficial in maintaining the scraper in proper relation to the disk, but, as before stated, owing to irregularities in the manu facture of disks, and, also, to wear in the bearings thereof, the scraper, in order to press evenly against the disk throughout its entire length, must constantly change its position relative to the line of travel; that is, the line of curvature of the disk as it passes the scraper, may constantly change, causing a lateral movement of the scraper, which exerts a torsional strain on the arch. If the arch is too rigid, as in the case of the malleable or bar steel types, this will have the effect of causing one portion of the scraper to leave the side of the disk, where as in our construction, the peculiar form of arch permits it to yield to torsional strains, allowing the scraper to bear against the disk throughout its entire length so as to properly perform its scraping function. and also to yield when necessary, so as not to exert too great pressure upon the disk, there by eliminating unnecessary draft, wear on the scraper and locking of the disk. This construction of arch also permits the boot to be attached thereto in the most desirable and conventional way; that is, at a point near the upper end of the boot, the toe scraper being secured to the lower end of the boot as is usual and desirable.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a disk furrow opener, a support, a curved disk revolubly mounted on said support, an arch connected with said support and extending over said disk, a boot rigidly connected with said arch near the upper end of said boot, and a toe scraper connected to the lower end of said boot lying against said disk, said arch being constructed to hold said scraper in yielding contact with the disk and to be capable of yielding to torsional strains substantially throughout its length.

2. In a disk furrow opener, a support, a curved disk revolubly mounted on said support, a resilient pressed-steel channelshaped arch connected to said support and extending over said disk, a boot connected to the rear end of said arch, and a toe scraper for said disk connected to the lower end of said boot.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 2nd day of March, 1916.

EDIVARD H. CUR-ETON. JOHN E. ULRICH. Witnesses:

O. L. Loornounnow, H. E. CALDWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latenn, Washington, D. (1. 

